Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill

   Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019

Common Q&As about SWRL Bill 18Dec18>>

18 December 2018

The following are some common questions and answers about changes to social worker
registration that will be introduced by the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill
(SWRL Bill). This document was prepared by the Ministry of Social Development in
consultation with the Social Work Alliance. It is available online at:
www.msd.govt.nz/social-worker-registration.

Background on what’s happening ………………………………………………………….. 3
Why does the Social Worker Registration Act need to be changed? …………………… 3
What are the benefits of the SWRL Bill? …………………………………………………….. 4
How many people are estimated to be social workers? ………………………………….. 5
What does the social worker sector think of the changes? ………………………………. 5
After the SWRL Bill comes into force ……………………………………………………… 6
Who will be a social worker? ………………………………………………………………….. 6
What will registration as a social worker involve? …………………………………………. 7
Why will registration as a social worker effectively be mandatory? ……………………. 8
Why will it be possible to be registered as a social worker but not be
practising? ………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
What will scopes of practice mean? ………………………………………………………….. 8
What does having a practising certificate mean? ………………………………………… 10
Will people who have a wealth of practical experience but not the right
qualifications be able to register as a social worker? …………………………………… 10
Why are there different types of registration?……………………………………………. 10
What effect will there be on people who are thinking about studying in 2019
for, or are already in the process of completing, a social work qualification? ……… 11
Will there be any change in fees charged, such as for registration? …………………. 11
What will be the role of the Social Workers Registration Board? ……………………… 11
What will be the responsibilities of employers of social workers? …………………….. 12
What will be the responsibilities of social workers? ……………………………………… 12
When will the Social Workers Registration Act be reviewed? ………………………….. 13
Why is the Board’s membership being reduced? ………………………………………… 13
What role will the Ministry of Social Development have regarding social
workers? ………………………………………………………………………………………… 13
What is the government doing about workforce planning for social workers? ……… 13
Some possible examples ……………………………………………………………………. 13
I have a social work qualification and I am a member of a professional social worker association, but I work as a drug and alcohol worker. I am also a member of the Addiction Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa New Zealand (DAPAANZ). My District Health Board employer requires me to be a member of DAPAANZ. Will I have to register as a social worker? ……………………………….. 13
Does being a registered social worker mean that I will not be able to be a member of a professional social worker association? …………………………………… 14
I am a Community Support Worker/Whānau Worker/Family Worker and do not have a social work qualification and do not plan to seek such a qualification. My employer requires me to be a member of a professional social worker association. Will being a member of a professional social worker association put me in breach of new section 6AA (unregistered person must not claim to be a social worker)? …………………………………………… 14
I am a retired social worker but I provide volunteer social work services for a few hours each month. Will I need to be registered as a social worker? ……………. 14
I have a number of employees who are doing some social work who do not have a recognised social work qualification. What will I be required to do once the Social Workers Registration Act is amended? ………………………………… 15
I work alongside a social worker. We do the same work – assessment, intervention, developing care plans etc. My title isn’t social worker, but hers is. I am not registered or affiliated with any organisation. Will I be in breach of the Act? ………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
We have staff who are not called social workers, but they are using a lot of social work skills and techniques. Some of them have a social work qualification, but some have no qualification at all. Our employer does not pay for registration for the qualified social workers and they cannot afford to pay for their own registration. Will they need to be registered? ……………………… 16
I was off sick for two years for treatment for a long-term disability. I am returning to work now. What do I need to do to meet my CPD requirements? ……. 16
I am a retired Life Member of a professional social worker association and am not registered. I am not practicing in any way, but my identity is ‘social worker’. Will I be in breach of the new 6AA if I identify as a social worker even though I am not practicing and do not intend to return to practice? …………. 16
I am a retired social worker and sit on a Board of Directors for a social service organisation that provides social work services. (1) If I am registered will I need an annual practising certificate for this? (2) I am not registered; will I need to register to be a Director on this Board? ………………………………….. 16
More information ………………………………………………………………………………. 17

On this page, you can find out about the changes that the Government is making to social worker registration. Legislation is being progressed that will bring into effect mandatory registration for anyone who is practising as a social worker. There will also be more requirements of employers, some changes in how the Social Workers Registration Board (the SWRB) operates, and a range of other changes impacting on social workers. Some of the changes will happen as soon the legislation becomes law, while others will happen in stages. The key change is that within two years of the changes becoming law, all people practising as a social worker will need to be registered.

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Legislation was before Parliament early in 2019 which makes changes to social worker registration. The Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) have put together some questions and answers about the effects of the new Act . If you have other questions, please contact: info@swrb.govt.nz

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Social workers are employed in various positions. Some of these positions are not titled ‘social worker.’

General Scope of Practice:
Social workers are registered professionals who are educated to work collaboratively with clients and communities to assess, manage and evaluate individual and interpersonal situations incorporating analysis of environmental, cultural, structural, societal and economic issues. Social work seeks to enable and empower people and their communities to address life challenges, enhance well-being and challenge societal barriers. Across a variety of practice settings, social workers use indigenous, social sciences and humanities knowledge, social work theories, skills, strategies and interventions. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work practice.

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Minister Sepuloni: New Legislation Passes to Make Registration Mandatory for Social Workers

The Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill was passed in Parliament today giving greater protection for some of our most vulnerable people and increasing standards in the social work sector, says Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni.

“This is a great day for the social work profession. It has been 16 years since the voluntary registration system was introduced in 2003,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

Read More>>

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SWRB: New Legislation Recognises Mana of Social Work Profession (Scoop 21 February 2019)

The new Social Workers Registration Act recognises the value and mana of the social work profession says Sarah Clark, Chief Executive for the Social Workers Registration Board: Kāhui Whakamana Tauwhiro (SWRB).

“We’re delighted to see the new Social Workers Registration Act pass through the house and are really pleased with its dual intent – to protect the public and to lift the standing of the social work profession.”

“Making social worker registration mandatory is something we have wanted to see for some time, so we are pleased to see it come to fruition.”

Read More>>

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NZ Government: Registration Now Mandatory for Social Workers (Scoop 21 February 2019)

The Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill was passed in Parliament today giving greater protection for some of our most vulnerable people and increasing standards in the social work sector, says Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni.

“This is a great day for the social work profession. It has been 16 years since the voluntary registration system was introduced in 2003,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

“The new legislative requirements will finally make registration mandatory for social workers. It will align with best practice in similar occupations and give a firm base for the social work profession to continue to develop in the future.

Read More>>

 

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PSA: New Law Represents a Historic Milestone for Social Workers in New Zealand PSA Media Releases 22 February 2019

“The PSA is proud to have taken an active role in pushing for changes to the legislation, through a range of advocacy activity and as a member of the Social Work Alliance, and consider the changes that were made to ensure the law is fit for purpose as a victory for that combined advocacy and for all social workers,” says Kerry Davies, PSA national secretary.

“The cooperation shown amongst PSA members and members of the Social Work Alliance to ensure the legislation was amended – including a petition on Action Station, articles and meetings with MPs – has been an outstanding demonstration of solidarity and unity”.

Read More>>

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The Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) recognises that an historic milestone for social work has been reached with the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill passing Third Reading by a unanimous vote. Registration of social workers was the vision of the late Merv Hancock when he led the establishment of ANZASW in 1964.

ANZASW concurs with Jan Logie, (Green Party) who said “It is a really significant moment in the history of social work in this country, and the implications of this legislation are profound for the profession and, we hope, will have a real impact on the sense of confidence from the public in the social work profession”.

As Minister Sepuloni noted, the Bill “modernises the Social Workers Registration Act and increases the professionalism of the social work workforce,” providing much-needed “certainty” for service users “that people practicing as social workers will have the right qualifications, experience, and on-going professional development to deliver the support that is needed.”

“This development is a corrective to the long history of social work professionals not enjoying the same recognition as Doctors, Nurses, Psychiatrists and others who have required universal registration as a matter of law. As the professional body for social work in Aotearoa New Zealand, we look forward to continuing to advocate for social workers’ in the new regulatory environment,” ANZASW Chief Executive Lucy Sandford-Reed said.

“That the majority of the members in the House yesterday recognised the value of the social work profession and the importance of the work undertaken is noted and appreciated,” she added

Long-standing member and outgoing President Shannon Pakura said: “With the passing of this Bill,

ANZASW’s 55 year-old vision of mandatory registration for the whole Social Work profession has finally been realised.”

“We acknowledge the Social Work Alliance group for their steadfast commitment to advocate on behalf the profession.  We recognise Minister Sepuloni’s persistence in seeking to pass this legislation and her responsiveness to the profession,” she added.

“This is a bill that puts public safety first and enhances the professionalism of social work,” she noted.

Introducing registration has been a goal for ANZASW since its founding, in 1964. In 1976 members began discussing issues around registration. Our News and Views publication set out the advantages and disadvantages of registration. The advantages included protection for clients and employers, professional development, training, skills development and protection for social workers. The disadvantages were that there were so few professionally qualified social workers eligible for registration that the scheme might undermine “the unqualified in a situation where they are the back-bone of the service” (News and Views, Issue 12, December 1976 p.1).

 

The campaign for statutory registration accelerated in the nineties, culminating in a report by a Special Project Team on the issue of Statutory Registration which was presented to members in 1999. In 2003 the Social Workers Registration Act introduced voluntary registration. Over the intervening 16 years ANZASW has campaigned to reach the point we are at today.

Recalling the journey, long-time member Dr Kieran O’Donoghue of Massey University said this moment had been achieved as the result “of the endeavour of many committed people in our profession.”

“Jenny Blagdon, Madeline Taylor, and Bev Keall renewed this journey for us in 1994, Howard Randal, David McNabb, Buster Curson and Robyn Corrigan, Rose Henderson and Leland Ruwhiu, were key to getting the 2003 Social Workers Registration Act in place. The ANZASW members on the first board Robyn Corrigan, Buster Curson, Sonya Hunt, John Dunlop, Liz Beddoe and Shannon Pakura helped set up our current registration system and laid the groundwork for the move towards Mandatory Registration.”

“Other notable allies in the journey have been the Hon Steve Maharey, Sean McKinley and Jan Duke from the SWRB who were key to the 2015 Review of the Act that resulted in the Select Committee Enquiry, while Shayne Walker as the outgoing Chair and Sarah Clark Chief Executive of the Board have helped us across the line. Congratulations to all for their part in achieving this milestone,” he continued.

ANZASW life member Robyn Corrigan reflected: “The importance of the Bill has not changed from when the current 2003 legislation was first presented as a Bill by the then Minister for Social Development and Employment, Steve Maharey, its primary purpose being to protect members of the public who engage with social work services by ensuring they are competent and accountable for their practice. That has not changed. Processes may change. The intent does not. This current Bill implements the piece missing from the 2003 legislation, that the registration of social workers becomes mandatory, not voluntary.”

“The many reasons for mandatory registration have been discussed and debated both formally and informally within the profession since the 2003 legislation, with arguments both for and against.  That mandatory registration is finally on the horizon is the result of strong lobbying from within the profession, particularly from ANZASW,” she noted.

She added: “I simply am profoundly moved that it is finally imminent and plan on being in the House to hear the final reading.”

The Bill, which, having passed Select Committee, only required Social Workers named as such by their employers to be legally required to register, has been amended so that it is compulsory for all whose role falls within a scope of practice to register with the Board.

The call for scopes of practice was supported by 70% of submitters to the Social Services Select Committee, including the Association. Using a scope of practice (a description of the range of responsibilities, procedures, actions, and processes that a qualified practitioner performs) to define social work is critical to upholding standards, heightening accountability and protecting people using social work services.

 

A member who took part in ANZASW’s consultation and information-gathering process with members prior to its submission said: “The Scope of Practice, when it is finalised, should aim to have a clear definition of social work. With this visibility of social work will result and consumers will have channels made easier for complaint when necessary.”

“Many organisations use job descriptions that do not accurately reflect the range of practice that social workers currently provide and therefore hide the value of the profession,” the member added.

The Association would like to thank members for their patience during the period of engagement with government and pay tribute to the collaborative approach to developing a Bill that is fit for purpose by  the Social Work Alliance (ANZASW, SWRB, PSA Christian Council of Social Services, Social Service Providers Association, National DHB Social Work Leaders Council, Careerforce, Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association, Oranga Tamariki, Council of Social Work Educators Aotearoa New Zealand).

L to R: Shannon Pakura (Chair SWRB), Hon Minster Carmel Sepuloni, Lucy Sandford-Reed (CE ANZASW) Shayne Walker (Immediate Past Chair SWRB)

   Print Document>>

The Social Work Alliance is delighted that the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill passed Second Reading in Parliament last night.

It was very affirming to watch Minister Sepuloni speaking last night. The Minister and her colleagues have inspired real sense of achievement for the future of the social work profession.  The Alliance appreciated the universal acknowledgment of the great and challenging work that social workers do in our communities.

The Committee of the Whole of House will debate the Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) tonight. The SOP proposes significant changes to the Bill and most importantly introduces a form of registration based on scopes of practice.

The Social Work Alliance made up of representatives from, professional associations, the statutory regulator, employers, educators and the union, were united in their in opposition to the requirement that only social workers in positions described using the words “social worker” would be required to register. The Alliance estimated that approximately half of the social work workforce would not be required to register if this position was maintained. The Alliance was clear that social work should be defined by what social workers do, rather than what they are called by their employers.

This clearly would not achieve the aim of the Bill which was to “increase the professionalism of the social work profession and ensure the public is protected from harm”. Social workers who are not registered would not be able to be held to account for their practice by the Social Workers Registration Board.

The Alliance developed a positive relationship with officials from both the Ministers Office and Ministry of Social Development to negotiate changes to the Bill. The outcome of these negotiations is the SOP that is being debated today. The Alliance fully endorses the SOP which includes protection of the title of social worker and registration to practice within a scope of practice.

The scope of practice approach to mandatory registration of social workers makes it clear for all stakeholders, practitioners, employers, people using services and the general public, about who is and is not entitled to practice as a social worker. This means that New Zealanders can be assured that practicing social workers, regardless of their title will be qualified, competent and accountable for their practice.

The Alliance looks forward to the SOP being incorporated into the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill and passing into law. The profession of social work will finally have the recognition and status it fully deserves.

The journey for social work registration commenced in 1964 when the New Zealand Association of Social Workers was established. The first milestone to achieving this was voluntary registration of Social Workers provided by the Social Workers Registration Act 2003.  With over 7,000 social workers already registered it is clear that the profession recognises the value and benefits of registration in a voluntary regime. The Alliance now looks forward to the final stage, the SOP being adopted and the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill passing Third Reading. This will be a momentous occasion for the profession and those who use social work services.

 

ENDS

 

Shannon Pakura                                    Lucy Sandford-Reed

ANZASW Board Member                         CE

027 631 2655                                        027 349 0190

The Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill – Supplementary Order Paper

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The Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill was introduced to Parliament 9 August 2017 and passed First Reading 17 August 2017.

There were a number of issues with the Bill, the most significant being that practicing as a social worker or being willing to practice as a social worker was defined as being “employed or engaged by another person in a position that is described using the words social worker”.

The ANZASW database has 110 role titles occupied by qualified and registered social workers that are not described using the words social worker. Almost half of the members are working in these roles. Under the Bill as written, these people would not be deemed to be social workers and would therefore not have to be registered. It is appropriate to note that people practicing social work who are not registered fall outside the remit of SWRB. This means that these practitioners are not externally regulated, and nor can they be held to account for their practice.

Effectively the Bill handed the employers the responsibility for determining who was, and who was not a social worker. After First Reading members were frequently calling ANZASW to say that their position had been restructured, the work remained the same, the people using the service remained the same, but the role was no longer called ‘social worker’ and payment of registration / Annual Practicing Certificates, professional development and supervision was removed from individual employment agreements.

ANZASW made a detailed submission to the Social Services and Community Select Committee following extensive consultation with members. You can read the submission here.

Following the Social Services and Community Select Committee hearings the Bill included another worrying amendment – that a person was not practicing as a social worker if social work was one of the suite of qualifications required for the role and that person did not hold themselves out to be a social worker.

It should be noted that over 70% of the submissions to the Social Services and Community Select Committee were from the social work profession; those submissions “expressed a desire for the inclusion of scopes of practice as a means for setting the parameters of social work, and potentially helping to better define social work. Many of those submissions also promoted the use of text from the HPCA Act as a model for the operation of any proposed scopes”[1].

ANZASW along with Social Work Alliance developed an effective relationship with officials in MSD to develop a SOP to create a Bill that was fit for purpose. The Social Work Alliance represents a wide group including the regulator, the professional bodies, educators, employers, the union, health social workers and large employers of social workers.

In the context of both the overwhelming support for a scope of practice approach to registration in Select Committee submissions and the feedback received by the Alliance members from their constituents, the Alliance advocated for and successfully worked alongside with MSD to develop a scope of practice approach to registration.

The Social Workers Registration Board produced a Social Work – General Scope of Practice in July 2017. (see http://swrb.govt.nz/download/when-an-annual-practising-certificate-is-required/).  It is expected that this scope will be part of the discussions with the profession about a future scope during the two-year transition to mandatory registration. The Bill clearly requires SWRB to consult with social workers, employers of social workers and others affected by the proposed scope including the professional associations and educators.

For practitioners the scope of practice provides a mechanism to limit the ability of employers to hire people with social work qualifications but describe the role as something else in order to avoid costs associated with registration and as a means of avoiding a professional wage.

ANZASW welcomes the Supplementary Order Paper and the positive changes if adopted that it will make for the profession.

 

Shannon Pakura             |   Lucy Sandford-Reed

ANZASW Board member |   CE.

027 631 2655                |   027 349 0190

[1] Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill: Departmental Report 4^th April 2018.

Posted on February 11, 2019 by RSW Collective

Amy Ross writes a response to John Darroch’s article   “New supplementary order paper fundamentally changes social work registration bill – and should not proceed”.

Any registration of any profession by the state carries risk. The state has an appalling history of allowing atrocities to be undertaken by ‘officials’ and ‘professionals’ with the backing of the law. Therefore, registration for social work should, of course, be undertaken with vigilance and we need to ensure that implementing any legislation is done by us and does not erode the core principles of social work or allow the state to define our theoretical or ethical basis.

The first iteration of the Social Work Registration Bill tabled as a last act by Anne Tolley and the National Government posed enormous challenges to the future of our profession. The Social Work Community swung into action. There was a huge number of submissions (see the PSA one here) and an open letter petition that caught the attention of the new Minister Carmel Sepuluoni.

There were two core issues for the Social Workers Action Network (as articulated in more detail in our submission). One was the circular and meaningless definition of social work the original bill provided which created ability for employers to define social work themselves. The PSA and ANZASW both received many calls from employees who had already had their job title changed by their employer to remove the title ‘social work’ in anticipation of being able to have their social work employees do the same job without calling them social workers; or paying or recognising them as such.

The problematic reporting of misconduct to the board was another key issue for the PSA. The way it was worded created a risk that more organisations would use the Social Work Registration Board as a defacto HR department, calling into question the future security of basic employment rights for social workers in the workplace.

The PSA joined the voices of our members with many other social work organisations in the Social Work Alliance, including ANZASW, The Tangata Whenua Social Work Association, The Council of Social Work Educators; DHB social work leads and the Social Service Provider Association (amongst many others) to influence change. It was an almost unprecedented cooperation between social work advocates and community leaders and we were able to influence a number of positive changes to this dangerous bill in the form of a supplementary order paper (SOP)

John Darroch’s article calling out this SOP as making things worse and arguing for the bill to go through to vote in its original form is disappointing after such a widespread, community-led response. The SOP is certainly not perfect (no legislation I have ever seen is) but if the bill was to go to vote in its original form this would undo significant cross-sector work. The early National Party bill was full of attacks on the profession and also technical problems, of which I have only highlighted two.

The concern expressed in the aforementioned article about scopes of practice is valid in that it is true we don’t know what will be in them yet as they are not in the legislation. This is purposeful as we don’t actually want them to be in legislation where they would be unable to be changed or influenced by our community as we develop our own understanding of practice. We don’t want to have to go cap in hand to the Government of the day to change and develop social work practice.

However, it is inaccurate to say that the scopes will be written without the community or by the board alone. The bill requires involvement from stakeholders in the development of any scopes of practice. The SWRB is just the coordinating body which holds the pen. Social workers must claim this opportunity and be involved in every debate, every nuance of the scope discussion. I know that when the SWRB put out their first iteration of a general scope of practice PSA members provided scathing feedback and as a result of this feedback, (amongst other community feedback) it was dramatically changed. This process could be a thousand time more robust if we seize the chance and get involved. The risk of the scopes not reflecting reality can only come to pass if we as a community do not stand up and make sure that they do. The debate about how many there ultimately are is still one we have a chance to have robustly as a community.

It is also not accurate to say that scopes of practice will necessarily mean that people will have to undertake expensive and inaccessible postgraduate qualifications as a matter of course or that they must register multiple times in complex siloed systems. The course of the scopes of practice is likely to be the same as the Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act upon which it was based. This works effectively for many professions that social workers regularly intersect with.[1]  The core general scope of practice that defines core competencies, responsibilities and qualifications for social work will be critical. This must in my view be based on our strong core ethics and values as is the International Definition of Social Work. Having a strong core scope of practice will prevent employers from cherry picking what they call social work or employing social workers to do social work in jobs that simply are not named as such. It removes the ability for them to say social work is “vague” or argue that because the words ‘social work’ are not used that it is therefore not a social work job.

When it comes to specific scopes of practice for a specific area, (such as those in health) the purpose is not to create a whole lot of bureaucratic obstacles and multiple points of registration. Certainly, none of the many social work organisations pushing for change would ever have argued for that. A scope of practice does not necessarily make a task or responsibility exclusively yours nor does it have to be a specific list of restricted tasks. Just as in a health setting where scopes overlap all the time (for example a Nurse Practitioner and a Doctor in their ability to prescribe medication or Occupation Therapists and Nurses in their ability to assess) the same will be true for different areas of practice in social work. All social workers must engage with a person holistically as that is a core element of our praxis.

Different scopes of practice can essentially be defined as having two clear purposes:

• Articulating the competencies and responsibilities of social work in a particular field to help delineate and protect the social work role, something we have already seen under attack with the rise of “social work assistant roles” or “case workers” etc which can act in effect as unqualified, unsupervised, low paid workers doing a social work role. We heard a lot throughout the process of fighting the original bill that social work is difficult to define (Cabinet paper, Regulatory Impact statement, select committee report, MSD advice to select committee). This becomes problematic in multi-disciplinary environments where social work ends up with the “everything else that nobody else wants” or so poorly understood that the real value social workers bring is ignored or distorted.
• Allowing different areas of the social work community to build on the general scope of practice to refine and add to the things important for their sector. NGO social workers don’t want Oranga Tamariki to define social work for their sector, Health doesn’t want to be defined by NGOs and so on. The ability to develop (over time) specific scopes of practice should absolutely be monitored but can also be an opportunity for us to get some real control back and ensure social work doesn’t become simply ‘child protection’ as it is often seen. There is absolutely no reason that a Kaupapa Māori scope could not be created which could challenge many conventional notions of qualifications and practice for example. We will need to be vigilant against any creation of hierarchies, deliberate or inadvertent, through this process but again does offer an opportunity to allow each field of practice to “come out into the sunlight” so to speak.

I hold no illusions about not having to fight to prevent the cult of managerialism and neoliberalism creeping into the wording of scopes of practice or about the need to fight against the reality of austerity cutting our ability to practice or resource ongoing learning deeply. However, the coherent community organisation around this bill shows me that we are ready to take on the task of being involved in any scope development and make it truly our own. It will not be without challenge. But implementation of any registration would pose some challenges, particularly in a neoliberal environment. This bill is an opportunity as I see it, an opportunity which will be well and truly gone if the bill were to proceed in its original form, leaving us dependent on the goodwill of employers to retain any social work jobs.

[1] Indeed during this process the HCPA Act was getting reviewed and MSD officials were able to have conversations to understand the learnings of this review so they could be included in any replication of the HCPA process

Minister Sepuloni has announced the release of the SWRL Bill SOP (19 December 2018). It is publicly available on the MSD website at:

www.msd.govt.nz/social-worker-registration  

The Bill is waiting for its Second Reading in Parliament.

Following the Second Reading, the Minister for Social Development intends to propose the Supplementary Order Paper during the Committee of the Whole House discussion on the SWRL Bill. This will happen in early 2019.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/social-worker-registration-changes-strengthen-profession

Email from ANZASW CE, Lucy Sandford-Reed 19 Dec 2018

I am delighted to be able to advise you that the Social Workers Registration Legislation Supplementary Order Paper, Common Questions and Answers about the SWRL Bill and Minister Sepuloni’s press release are now available at:

https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/work-programmes/social-worker-registration/index.html

While it is disappointing that the Bill did not get to Second Reading before Parliament rose for the holidays, the Bill is likely to complete Second and Third Reading and Royal Assent in the sitting sessions 12 – 21 February and / or 12 – 21 March 2019.

The Transitions timeframes:

•  Registration will be mandatory for all social workers 2 years after the date the amended Act receives Royal Assent
•  Section 13 (The Board may recognise practical experience) will be repealed 5 years after the date the Act receives Royal Assent
•  The reduction to the SWRB Board from 10 members to 7 takes place 3 months after the Act receives Royal Assent.

Key aspects that are now included in the Bill:

Protection of the title “social Worker”

 

Scope/s of Practice & Qualifications

• SWRB determines Scopes of Practice and must consult with stakeholders
• Scope of Practice will be the basis of registration – scopes to be set by SWRB in consultation with the sector
• Scopes of practice must be endorsed on an individual’s APC
• SWRB must prescribe qualifications for each scope of practice and must consult with stakeholders

Competence and Recertification

• NZ graduates will not be required to complete a competence assessment unless doubts have been raised about their competence to practice – effective the day after the Act receives Royal assent.
• The requirement to recertify every 5 years is repealed – effective the day after the Act receives Royal assent.
• No change to the competence requirements for overseas trained social workers

Professional Development

• Professional development and professional supervision can be adopted as conditions for issuing an APC as they are now
• SWRB to recognise ways of undertaking CPD
• SWRB may set a fee to recognise CPD but may not set the fee for undertaking a CPD event

Mandatory reporting requirements:

• The employer must report if they believe the SWer is not competent only after taking steps to provide assistance to improve competence, includes reporting if a SWer resigns or is dismissed due to lack of competence
• Employer to report if they believe a SWer has engaged in serious misconduct
• Employer must report if they believe that a SWer may be unable to satisfactorily perform the function required to practice social work because of a physical or mental condition
• A social worker must report of they believe that a SWer may be unable to satisfactorily perform the function required to practice social work because of a physical or mental condition
• A person may report if they believe SWer may be unable to satisfactorily perform the function required to practice social work

It is anticipated that a Policy Statement will clarify that the ability to practice and study a first recognised social work qualification concurrently will no longer be an option.

You can read the Social Work General Scope of Practice developed by SWRB July 2017 here https://anzasw.nz/swrb-publications/

The Clause “Board to determine scope of practice for social work profession” comes into effect that day after the Act receives Royal Assent. This provision enables SWRB to further develop the Social Work General Scope of Practice and develop any other scopes prior to registration becoming mandatory for all social workers (2 years after the date the Act receives Royal Assent).

Unfortunately, members with a recertification falling due prior to the end of March are advised to be prepared to have to complete recertification.

The Policy on Professional Developments has not yet been developed. We however advise members to maintain their CPD Logs in line with the statutory declaration signed when your APC was renewed “I have undertaken / will undertake a range of professional development activities totalling a minimum of 20 hours in each year and have / will evidence for this in my CPD Log”.

The Online Members CPD Log can be accessed from https://anzasw.nz/online-cpd-log/

As the Log is member only you will need a login. If you haven’t already you need to sign up here>>. For those yet to do this and are planning to get their Log up to date over the holidays we recommend you do this, this week as it needs to be approved by us here at the ANZASW Office. The Office wil be closed from 4.30 pm 21 December, reopening 8.00 am Monday 7 January 2019.